Why A Transatlantic Cruise Might Just Be Cheaper Than A Staycation

Cruises are a fun and exciting way to explore the world. Whether you stay around the Caribbean (say, on one of the five best Royal Caribbean ships) or head over to Europe and Southeast Asia, a cruise gives you all the benefits of travel without any of the logistical nightmares that come with planning. Plus, depending on where you live, a cruise may be the most economical way to take a vacation, even compared to a "staycation." In fact, a transatlantic cruise might be more affordable than staying at home in a city like New York or Boston.

That said, there are many variables at play, such as the cruise company you'd use, where you stay during a staycation, and what you plan to do. For example, a cruise on Virgin Voyages is cheaper than one from SeaDream, a luxury yacht-style cruise that's also one of the smallest cruise ships in the world. Nonetheless, comparing a full-service cruise to an all-out staycation is a fun thought experiment, so let's break it down, piece by piece. This way, the next time you're debating between a cruise or something more "economical," you can make an informed decision.

When breaking down the costs of a vacation, we must look at a few different factors, including transportation (both to and from your location, as well as within your destination), lodging, food, and attractions. One of the primary benefits of a cruise is that almost all of these elements are included in the price of your cabin, making it much easier to plan your trip than if you sourced each item individually.

First, let's look at some transatlantic cruise prices so we can create a baseline. One thing to point out with these cruises is that they only depart from a few East Coast ports, such as Miami, Fort Lauderdale, or New York. So if you live outside of those cities, you'll have to factor in the cost of getting yourself to a port. For example, Virgin Voyages mainly sails out of Miami, with the cheapest cruise costing (at the time of writing) just shy of $2,000 per cabin for 14 nights to Spain and Morocco. By comparison, 17 days from New York to Hamburg on the stunning Cunard's Queen Mary 2 cruise ship cost about the same, though you have to pay for a separate trip home. Some prices for cruises departing from New York at the time of writing can be as cheap as $442 for seven nights or as expensive as a $16,500 cruise lasting three and a half months.

Looking at these prices, let's assume around $2,000 on the low end and $5,500 on the high end (SeaDream offers a 16-day trip from Palm Beach to Lisbon for $5,600 at the time of writing). With a 14-day itinerary, that would equate to about $143 to $393 per day. Considering that hotel prices can easily match those numbers, cruises are looking more appealing since they include meals and entertainment.

Before you book your transatlantic cruise, it's imperative to look at all the different variables. For example, if you don't live in a port city, you have to pay for a flight or car to reach them. There's also another significant catch: Transatlantic cruises don't always include the trip back. So if you take a voyage to Spain, England, or some other European destination, you might have to pay to fly back home. Depending on where you live, the time of year, and where you're departing from, that can add hundreds of dollars to the total.

So here's a quick breakdown. Let's say, for the sake of argument, that you live in a port city (or close enough to get a ride or cheap Uber). Let's also say you opt for a relatively extravagant cruise or add packages to make the trip more enjoyable, so your total is $3,500 all-included. Then, add another $500 for your flight back (for example, a cheap flight with no added bags from Barcelona to Miami is around $400 on Kayak at the time of writing). Overall, $4,000 for a 14-day cruise.

Now, how about a staycation in Miami? Cheap hotels in the city can cost around $100 or less per night, with decent hotels costing over $200 a night. Just for lodging alone, 14 nights of a staycation will cost you $1,400 to $2,800. But what about food? Even with a modest budget of $60 per day for yourself, that's another $840, bringing the total to between $2,240 and $3,640. Then, assuming you want to do stuff in Miami, you can expect to spend another $300 to $400 total (for example, going to the Miami Seaquarium costs over $34 per person). As you can see, depending on these variables, crossing the Atlantic may be cheaper than staying at home. Vacation wisely.